A/N
I own nothing but Kay & I have taken creative license with the Simms – I picture Mrs. Simms as a plump, nice Italian lady who cooks A LOT and Mr. Simms as a little like Mr. Weasley (in character, not appearance)(dunno why – must be Potter Mania)
Anyway, thanks to Corry J for pointing out I should make something up for where Reid went. I was just going to go on and just say he went out partying, but you inspired me to write this – longest chappie yet (over 5X longer than last chapter)! Also cutest. Hope you like – let me know if it's OOC or moving too fast – two things I'm worried about! I apologize for making Tyler so grumpy so far – hopefully he'll get a girlfriend eventually and mellow out! ; ) Any requests for names? I'll write you in…
I wanted to wait until Wed. to post this because I wanted more people to review the whole more sisters thing, but I can't resist. I can still add some if you want!
Anyway, I think I've bored you enough with this endless A/N.
R&R, por favor.
"Can I help yo- Reid?" Kay broke off, confused to see Tyler's best friend standing on her doorstep at 9:30 at night with Tyler nowhere in sight. He just smirked at her.
"Hey, Kay." He pushed past her and up the stairs, headed for Tyler's room.
"What are you doing here?" She'd meant to ask 'where's Tyler' and not sound so rude, but her real question had slipped out, sharper than she'd intended.
"Raiding Tyler's stock of porno." He replied with an easy smirk. She rolled her eyes in disgust.
"You are so gross, Reid. I thought something had happened to Ty. You can't just come barging in without him-" She broke off at sober look adorning Reid's face. He actually looked sorry for worrying her . A frown crossed her face. "Hey, are you okay? You've got that 'One-of-the-Sons-is-in-trouble-and-I-don't-know-what-to-do' look on your face you had when Pogue was in the hospital. Oh my God, is Pogue in the hospital again?! Did something happen to Caleb? What's wrong with Tyler? Oh, God! Something's wrong with Tyler! Reid, what-"
"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down! Everybody's fine. Baby Boy's a little menstrual at the moment, but nothing serious. It's all good." His eyes held hers, unusually grave. "It's just…Chase…" He left off, remembering the feeling of dread that came from knowing your brother was fighting and you might never see him again. He and Caleb were never exactly the best of friends, but they were brothers. They looked after their own.
"Hey." Kay lightly touched his arm in comfort, her eyes mirroring his. Caleb was her brother, too. "I may have overreacted there." He gave her a little smile, which she found herself responding to.
"Katherine? Who was at the door?Is everything alright?" A motherly voice asked from the kitchen.
"Everything's fine, it's just R-" Reid slapped a hand over her mouth, startling her.
"If you tell her I'm here, she'll stuff me full of pasta and cannolis and everything else she's spent all day baking, and the woman does not understand the phrase 'I'm full.'" He glared down at her as she squirmed out of his grasp.
"Katherine?" Mrs. Simms asked again, now sounding concerned.
"Tell her it was just a tourist asking for directions." Reid hissed in a whisper, even as a hand clapped down on his shoulder.
"Reid Garwin! Why, we haven't seen you in a few days. To what do we owe this pleasure? Where's Ty? I have something to show him. How's your mom doing?" Mr. Simms asked in his usual distracted manner.
"She's good, Mr. Simms. I'm by myself today. I had to pick up a book Tyler left here Sunday. He needs it for an assignment tonight. I'd better just run up and grab it really quick." Reid lied smoothly, moving up the stairs with a swimmer's grace. In fact, him mother was still neglecting him (no surprise there), he was at the Simm house for reasons completely unrelated to schoolwork, and he was not after a book at all, porn or otherwise.
"I'll come up with you." Kay muttered, hearing her mother practically running into the foyer after hearing "Reid" and wanting to avoid the pointed glances she was sure to receive.
Mrs. Simms had somehow deluded herself into thinking she, Katherine Elizabeth Simms, could possibly end up with Reid Garwin. As in married to the guy. It was laughable, really. That would never happen, even is she wanted it to…not that she did. Because she didn't. She very much didn't.
Because he was a player. And not interested. And he was a Son and had known her, like, forever. As Tyler's younger (by one year, for crying out loud!) sister. And he had powers. And she hated his gorgous, deep blue eyes that pulled you in and made you feel like you were the only woman on earth and he would do anything to make you happy. And his body? Pfft, she'd seen hotter.
No one that immediately came to mind…
But still, blonde bad boys who just happened to be the most popular guys in school and on the varsity swim team were SO not her type.
Or so she kept telling herself. Over and over. Every time she was anywhere – a mile, ten miles- near him. Because she did NOT like Reid Garwin. Not one bit.
"Okay, you kids have fun. Send Ty over soon…" Mr. Simms muttered absentmindedly as he wandered back through the door he'd entered from.
"Run if you want to avoid her." Kay whispered in a low, throaty voice. Reid shot her a cocky look, one eyebrow lifter in amusement. "What? This is what I sound like when I whisper." She defended, embarrassed at how husky her voice must sound to have attracted the blonde's attention. She didn't whisper often –it just wasn't a Kay Simms thing to do. She was loud and proud of her views and didn't hide anything.
Except her feelings for a certain blue-eyed, blonde Son…
"Let's go then." His smirk grew as his eyes glazed over black as he reached over, grabbing her hand, and in a heartbeat they had gone from being half way up the stairs to being in the middle of Tyler's impeccably clean room.
After she recovered from the shift and Reid-hand-holding, Kay shot him a curious, challenging look.
"You're not here for a book, are you." It wasn't a question.
"Well, what can I say? You caught me. I came to exchange in witty banter with you before whisking you off to the bedroom."
"You're a jackass." She smiled at him, blushing and laughing a little uneasily. He glanced around the familiar room, giving her a second to compose herself. "You better take something with you. Make it look good." She suggested lightly as she watched him flip through Tyler's old CD's. His eyes met hers and he shrugged in agreement before his eyes went black and a text book appeared in his hands.
"Hope Tyler wasn't using this just now…" He laughed quietly and Kay joined him. As their laughter subsided, both became acutely aware of their being in a bedroom together. Alone.
"Reid…" She took a step toward him, "Why did you come over tonight?" She asked in her husky whisper.
And he almost told her. He almost said he'd come to see her, that he hadn't seen her last night at the party and had slept with some random girls because he couldn't stand more than a day without her, taking in her eyes, quick and intelligent, and so deeply blue it hurt every time he looked directly into them. And her short frame that was almost perfectly proportionate to his taller one. Her hands, which he had actually touched tonight, and had touched him, both soft and strong. Her well-proportioned body and outfits to match that left him thinking of her well after they'd parted ways.
And her tenderness, the way she could read him and make him smile with the simplest thing…
He almost told her.
His mouth was open, forming the words…
And then his phone rang.
"Where the hell did my Trig book go? I have 20 problems left and-" Tyler's voice cut the tension in the room and unknowingly Reid slipped back into the bad boy persona.
"Chill. I needed it for a sec. I'll be back in a few." He hung up on Tyler complaining about tomorrow's Trig test.
He missed the disappointed, hurt look that flashed through Kay's eyes as she watched his stance go from relaxed and open to rigid and annoyed.
"So, uh, can you get Tyler his car back in time for him to pick me up tomorrow morning?" She asked as he ran a hand through his hair in part annoyance, part relief.
"Yeah, sure. We'll pick you up after practice." She tried to ignore the flutter her stomach gave at the word 'we.' It didn't work and a blush rose to her cheeks again.
He took a step toward her, a playful smirk gracing his features. Her heart caught in her throat and her blush deepened.
"You might want to, like, take your temperature or something. You're kinda red." His smirk widened as she huffed and strode from the room to avoid more embarrassment.
"But it might be that you're just that hot!" He called after her before following her from the room, not seeing the stupid smile plastered on her face at his words.
"Bye, Mrs. Simms! Bye, Mr. Simms! See you soon!" He called and ducked out of the house, narrowly avoiding Mrs. Simms' attempted invitation to join them for a before-bed 'snack' (feast). Honestly, it amazed him that Tyler and Kay were both so skinny with their mother the way she is about food and eating...
As he hauled himself into the Hummer, he banged his head on the steering wheel a few times, cursing Tyler and his damn work ethic. Couldn't have just let it go…
He Used to send the book back to Tyler immediately, knowing it would piss the younger boy off, before heading back to the dorms, knocking his head against the window in frustration.
Apparently today was not Reid's day, either.
